Tablet counter



May 15, 1951 D. w. JONES TABLET COUNTER Filed June 18, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l TTii Dwight W. Jones INVENTOR.

BY MW ZY Amps May 15, 195E D. w. JONES 2,553,095

TABLET COUNTER Filed June 18, 1948 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f Fig. 3

Fig. 5.

Dwight W. Jones INVENTOR.

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Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABLET COUNTER Dwight W. Jones, Jackson, Ohio Application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,849

2 Claims. (01. 222-10) This invention relates to dispensers and counters for unitary articles in the nature of tablets or the like, and has for its primary object the provision of an inexpensive means for use in a prescription department of a pharmacy or hospital which will deliver any number of tablets to a container in such a manner that the quantity of tablets delivered may be easily ascertained.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus for tablets and the like to be employed by pharmacists for delivering tablets one or more at a time without the tablets being touched by hand. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel tablet dispensing device including a rotar member having a number of cams thereon for leveling the delivered tablets, thus insuring smooth and eflicient operation of the device.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel tablet dispensing and counting device wherein a number of tablets of differing size can be readily and mechanically delivered and counted as desired.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tablet counter and dispenser;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rotary member showing the tablet-receiving aperture and the means for leveling the delivered tablets.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings. In the several views in the accompanying drawings and in the following specification reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at I0 is any suitable stand or table having a top I2 and the usual leg supports H. The table top I2 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced vertical tablet dispensing apertures l6 and a central aperture-l8. The top surface of the table top I2 is further provided with an annular recess 20.

Supported in the recess 20 is a rotary member 22 having a central shaft 24 engageably received by the aperture [8 and a handle portion or crank 26 which is in alignment with the shaft 24. The crank 26 is additionally secured to the rotary member 22 by means of brackets 28. The rotary member 22 is further provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced tablet receiving apertures 30 in advance of each of which apertures is provided a tablet leveling cam 32 as shown more clearly in Figure 5.

The operation of the leveling means will be further described hereinafter.

Slidably secured to the top member l2 of the table is a means for retaining and delivering tablets to the rotary member and consists essentially of the following.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced conventional channel brackets 34 are provided which slidably retain for lateral adjustment upon the table a plurality of housing brackets 36 from the top end of which extend arms 38 which are, in turn, secured to vertically disposed spring clips 40.

Frictionally retained in one or more of the spring clips 40 is a conventional funnel 42, the top of which is provided with an angulated slide 44 for allowing tablets 46 to slide from the bulb 48 through the stem 50.

It will, of course, be understood that to deliver tablets of varying size detachable funnels 42 of varying diameters may be used in the device of the instant invention.

Tablets are delivered to and retained in each of the funnels 42. By means of the crank 26, the

operator rotates the rotary member 22 until one of the tablet receiving apertures 30 is in alignment with the funnel 42. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this position a tablet 46 will be positioned in the aperture 30 to be rotated with the rotary member and eventually delivered to a vertical tablet dispensing aperture I 6 through which a tablet will pass to be delivered to any desired container. By knowing the number of tablet receiving apertures 30 in the rotary member and by knowing the number of rotations made, the quantity of tablets delivered in a given time may be easily ascertained. It should be understood, of course, that a mechanical counter may be secured to the rotary member for recording the number of revolutions made in a given time.

As shown in Figure 4, one of the tablets 46 may assume a vertical instead of a horizontal position in the funnel stem 50. The desired position, of course, is a horizontal position as shown in Figure 3.' To level the vertical tablet46; the

3 substantially triangular cam 32 in advance of each of the apertures 30 on the rotary members 22 will come along and strike the tablet 46, thus leveling this tablet for subsequent receipt in an oncoming tablet receiving aperture 30.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailedrdescriptionds accordingly deemed-unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described ca preferred embodiment of the invention thesame is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the inventioneasihertem described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new is: V

1. A tablet dispenser :and counter comprising a stand including a tqprmember i having. a ;plural" ity of rcirrcumferentially spaced :tablet rdispensing apertures therein, a disk ,rotatable on said top -member including a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced tablet receivingapertures, a plurality of funnels of 7 different .diameters :for retaining .tab- .lets aof difierent sizes, means ,for removably and 4 a adjustably securing said funnels on said stand, and means on said disk for leveling tablets before delivery to said tablet receiving apertures, said means including upstanding cams on said disk in advance of each of said tablet receiving apertures.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first-mentioned means includes horizontally adjustable spring clips engageably receiving said funnels.

DWIGHT W. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED fEherfollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 56615681 Ashbaugh et a1. Nov. 13, 1900 682,178 Dooley Sept. 19, 1901 1,459,299 Thompson June 19, .1923 2,319,724 ILanham J1i1y 3,11'94-5 FOREIGN :PATENTS Number Country Date 246,187 Germany *Apr. '25, 1912 

